India to Launch First-Ever National Household Income Survey in 2026
By Ankur Chandra | Published at: Jun 23, 2025 05:54 PM IST
New Delhi, June 23, 2025 — The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has announced its first full-fledged All India Household Income Survey, scheduled for 2026. This landmark initiative aims to comprehensively map income distribution across Indian households for the first time since the National Sample Survey (NSS) was instituted in 1950.
Historic Transition in India’s Data Collection Framework
Despite over seven decades of large-scale socio-economic surveys, India has never executed a nationwide income-specific survey. While experimental efforts were made in NSS Rounds 9, 14, 19, 24, and a pilot in 1983-84, none culminated in a national rollout due to operational and data reliability challenges. The mismatch between reported income and aggregate consumption-savings data had stalled earlier plans.
Now, with India’s economy undergoing structural shifts and increased demand for granular income data from policymakers and economists, MoSPI is taking decisive action to fill this critical gap.
“This is a major step toward understanding income inequality and the real impact of policy interventions,” said an official from the ministry, underlining the survey’s importance for economic planning.
Technical Expert Group Formed Under Dr. Surjit Bhalla
To ensure methodological rigour, MoSPI has constituted a Technical Expert Group (TEG) chaired by Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, former Executive Director for India at the IMF. The TEG will steer the entire process—from finalising concepts, definitions, and sampling methodology to aligning with international best practices observed in Australia, the USA, Canada, and South Africa.
Members of the Technical Expert Group
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Shri Aloke Kar | Former Professor, Indian Statistical Institute |
| Prof. Sonalde Desai | NCAER, New Delhi |
| Prof. Praveen Jha | Centre for Economic Studies & Planning, JNU |
| Prof. Srijit Mishra | School of Economics, University of Hyderabad |
| Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik | Chief Economist, NSE |
| Dr. Rajesh Shukla | CEO, People Research on India’s Consumer Economy |
| Prof. Ram Singh | Director, Delhi School of Economics |
The TEG is empowered to induct subject matter experts and co-opt members as required, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness during the survey’s lifecycle.
Key Objectives of the Survey
- Deliver nationally representative household income data
- Assess the impact of technology on wage patterns
- Provide granular insights into economic welfare across demographic segments
- Enable targeted welfare policy formulation and macroeconomic planning
The initiative aligns with NSS’s broader push to expand its data ecosystem, which now includes annual surveys on unincorporated enterprises, service sectors, and domestic tourism, among others.
About MoSPI and NSS
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is responsible for maintaining and disseminating core statistical data in India. The National Sample Survey (NSS), under MoSPI, has conducted pioneering socio-economic surveys since 1950 and is internationally recognised for its scale and scope.
With the 2026 Household Income Survey, India is poised to join the ranks of countries that regularly publish income distribution data, a critical input for assessing inequality, poverty, and the success of welfare programmes.
REF: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2138905
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